Blood testing centre gets green light from Holyrood

A NEW national centre for testing donated blood in Edinburgh has been given the go-ahead.

The Scottish Government has approved the outline business case for the £36.4 million centre for the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS).

Director Mary Morgan said the purpose-built facility at Heriot-Watt Research Park would also allow them to pursue work to discover new technologies which could “transform patients’ lives in the years ahead”.

As well as blood, the new centre will test other donated tissues – such as skin, bone and heart valves – helping ensure the future supply of these for patients across Scotland.

Ms Morgan stated: “SNBTS is one of the oldest blood services in the world and has been at the forefront of innovations for decades”.

Health Secretary Alex Neil added: “Having the right facilities in the right place is important to people across Scotland and that is why we are determined to ensure our blood service is delivered from state-of-the-art facilities.”